Maggie Flanigan Studio Blog

The Maggie Flanigan Studio provides the best Meisner training for actors in New York City. The studio was created by Maggie in 2001 to provide a unique conservatory-based acting program for talented young artists to receive the highest quality Meisner training.

Sydney Nordan Interview About the 18-Month Acting Program in NYC

Q: Sydney, tell me about your background in acting?

I actually did not study anywhere else, and I don’t really have any kind of background in acting.

Q: What did you think Meisner training was before you started the 18-month program at Maggie Flanigan Studio?

I actually knew really nothing about acting, and I actually read about it on this studio, our website online. Then I looked into a few other places and other definitions of it, but I really didn’t understand it fully until I came here.

Q: What were the specific steps that led you to Maggie Flanigan Studio?

I knew that I really wanted to be serious about acting, and I wanted to find a very serious studio. I was ready to commit myself and my time 100%. I actually researched about a lot of studios in New York, and I called and actually talked to you on the phone. I asked you a ton of questions. Then I came in and I had an interview with Karen.

"You will not get better acting teachers than you will find here. These teachers are so good at their craft but they are also just real human beings who love you and want to help you. This relationship doesn't die when you graduate from here. You are Maggie Flanigan family, and it's beautiful."

Sydney NordanStudent, 18-Month Acting Program

I was going to interview at other studios actually, and I wasn’t completely set until I met with Karen and Charlie. I just got this incredible vibe about this studio and what they were doing and how passionate they were when they talked and how they treated me. After my interview– I actually cried with my interview with Karen. After my interview, I was like, “Let me come. Let me be here, please.” Then I joined the studio after that.

Q: Where were you living before you moved to New York? Did you move here specifically to pursue your acting career?

Absolutely. I moved here– I originally had no plans. I’m from Alabama. I’ve transferred up here to play soccer in college actually from the University of Alabama. I played in Connecticut for two years. Then when I decided and I started into this program, I was actually commuting about two and a half hours and I was playing soccer. I was going to college, I was taking eight classes because I was ready to graduate. I was working two jobs and it just– this program was absolutely worth it to me.

We were doing our scenes. Charlie came in to visit and to see our scenes, which he does in first year. He told us after our class, he was just like, “If you want to do this work, you have to fully commit. You need to be here, be on time, and everything like that.” I sat in my seat and I sobbed because I realized I was doing so many other things that I couldn’t fully commit.

I actually have played soccer my entire life. I played semi-professional and professionally overseas. I did not end up finishing out my last year of eligibility in college. I had one more year, I did not do it. I decided right then in that class when he talked to us that I was moving to New York. I actually moved in with a girl who is going to the studio right now and we’re best friends and we live together. It’s been amazing, but I did commute for the whole first– the January session.

Q: Did your family support your decision to move here?

My family doesn’t know that I’m up here acting actually. They think it’s a hobby. I made the move by myself. I did everything by myself. My cousins, they support me and my acting friends here support me and they’re my family here. That’s all that really hasn’t mattered to me. My parents just wouldn’t understand the whole turn from– I was supposed to go down this road and then completely changed my life to a career that isn’t always stable and they don’t get that, but you know, like I said, my friends here are my family and I love it. Acting has completely fulfilled my life and I have never been happier than I am right now at the studio.

Q: What advice would you give to people or prospective students watching this video who are thinking about moving to NYC to train?

Get ready. It’s going to be a great ride. Honestly, you learn so much about yourself. I didn’t even know who I was until I came here. I’m actually gay and my family doesn’t even know. I was so conflicted on the inside about that. Last year through the acting training, I came completely out because I couldn’t hide it anymore. You just learn how to look at other people and look at the world in such a new perspective. I think that you should be aware when you come to training that that’s what’s going to happen to you. You are going to open up. You are going to be emotionalized. I don’t know, the world is just a really bright place. It’s really good.

Q: Do you have any advice for people who are feeling anxious or scared or nervous?

It was a hard journey but I ultimately, I needed to do this. I needed to do it for myself. I knew my family wasn’t going to be completely behind me. I honestly believe that this is your life. You have to do what is going to make you happy, ultimately. That’s just, that’s really it. Be ready. You’re going to have your days. I had a day that I just broke down and just and cried. I was like, “What am I doing? My whole life is different.” There is such beauty in that, your life is going to change. Everyone evolves. I think, honestly, just step into it with courage and go for it. Just be happy.

18-month Acting Program in New York – Maggie Flanigan Studio – (917) 789-1599

Sydney Nordan Interview About the 18-Month Acting Program in NYC

Q: Sydney, tell me about your background in acting?

I actually did not study anywhere else, and I don't really have any kind of background in acting.

Q: What did you think Meisner training was before you started the 18-month program at Maggie Flanigan Studio?

I actually knew really nothing about acting, and I actually read about it on this studio, our website online. Then I looked into a few other places and other definitions of it, but I really didn't understand it fully until I came here.

Q: What were the specific steps that led you to Maggie Flanigan Studio?

I knew that I really wanted to be serious about acting, and I wanted to find a very serious studio. I was ready to commit myself and my time 100%. I actually researched about a lot of studios in New York, and I called and actually talked to you on the phone. I asked you a ton of questions. Then I came in and I had an interview with Karen.

I was going to interview at other studios actually, and I wasn't completely set until I met with Karen and Charlie. I just got this incredible vibe about this studio and what they were doing and how passionate they were when they talked and how they treated me. After my interview-- I actually cried with my interview with Karen. After my interview, I was like, "Let me come. Let me be here, please." Then I joined the studio after that.

Q: Where were you living before you moved to New York? Did you move here specifically to pursue your acting career?

Absolutely. I moved here-- I originally had no plans. I'm from Alabama. I’ve transferred up here to play soccer in college actually from the University of Alabama. I played in Connecticut for two years. Then when I decided and I started into this program, I was actually commuting about two and a half hours and I was playing soccer. I was going to college, I was taking eight classes because I was ready to graduate. I was working two jobs and it just-- this program was absolutely worth it to me.

We were doing our scenes. Charlie came in to visit and to see our scenes, which he does in first year. He told us after our class, he was just like, "If you want to do this work, you have to fully commit. You need to be here, be on time, and everything like that." I sat in my seat and I sobbed because I realized I was doing so many other things that I couldn't fully commit.

I actually have played soccer my entire life. I played semi-professional and professionally overseas. I did not end up finishing out my last year of eligibility in college. I had one more year, I did not do it. I decided right then in that class when he talked to us that I was moving to New York. I actually moved in with a girl who is going to the studio right now and we’re best friends and we live together. It’s been amazing, but I did commute for the whole first-- the January session.

Q: Did your family support your decision to move here?

My family doesn’t know that I'm up here acting actually. They think it's a hobby. I made the move by myself. I did everything by myself. My cousins, they support me and my acting friends here support me and they’re my family here. That's all that really hasn't mattered to me. My parents just wouldn't understand the whole turn from-- I was supposed to go down this road and then completely changed my life to a career that isn't always stable and they don’t get that, but you know, like I said, my friends here are my family and I love it. Acting has completely fulfilled my life and I have never been happier than I am right now at the studio.

Q: What advice would you give to people or prospective students watching this video who are thinking about moving to NYC to train?

Get ready. It's going to be a great ride. Honestly, you learn so much about yourself. I didn't even know who I was until I came here. I'm actually gay and my family doesn't even know. I was so conflicted on the inside about that. Last year through the acting training, I came completely out because I couldn't hide it anymore. You just learn how to look at other people and look at the world in such a new perspective. I think that you should be aware when you come to training that that's what's going to happen to you. You are going to open up. You are going to be emotionalized. I don't know, the world is just a really bright place. It's really good.

Q: Do you have any advice for people who are feeling anxious or scared or nervous?

It was a hard journey but I ultimately, I needed to do this. I needed to do it for myself. I knew my family wasn't going to be completely behind me. I honestly believe that this is your life. You have to do what is going to make you happy, ultimately. That's just, that's really it. Be ready. You're going to have your days. I had a day that I just broke down and just and cried. I was like, "What am I doing? My whole life is different." There is such beauty in that, your life is going to change. Everyone evolves. I think, honestly, just step into it with courage and go for it. Just be happy.

How Actors Can Sustain Their Careers I was recently asked to speak about how one sustains a career as an artist. It’s an enormous question that has no single answer. I believe it requires dedicated training, passion, fortitude and the courage to say “Yes” to artistic projects that excite you even when you don’t know how you will possibly afford to do them. It demands belief in oneself, personal health and committing to practices that keep your heart open to the world. I believe that it also asks you to not be rigid about how the art in you expresses itself. You may be an actor now but you may also be a writer, a painter or a director. The expression of what you have to offer the world may have more than one venue. "To sustain a career in the arts, you have to stay in love with doing the work for the work itself and free yourself from the expectations of the where, when and how of it." Karen Chamberlain Acting Teacher, Faculty Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/goo.gl/maps/oxqqExybwL32plus.google.com/112291205845820496849 https://flic.kr/p/2c3fvLg

Why Be An Actor www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/actors-work-ethic/why-be-an-... Charlie Sandlan - Maggie Flanigan Studio Call (917) 789-1599 Charlie Sandlan is the Executive Director, Head of Acting at the Maggie Flanigan Studio. In this video, Charlie discusses the most important question that he asks students during their admission interview. Learn More About the Acting Programs at the Maggie Flanigan Studio The acting programs at the Maggie Flanigan studio are for actors who are interested and committed to creating the foundation that they need to have long professional acting careers. Students who are serious about professional actor training should visit the acting programs and acting classes page to learn about the programs and to apply for admission. Students who have questions about the actor training and programs at the studio can call during studio hours at (917) 789-1599. Before I decide whether or not I am interested in teaching someone, the first question I ask is, “Why do you want to be an actor”. I don’t think this is a question that most people really confront when they talk about their dream of pursuing an acting career. Our pop-culture is quite superficial, and to paraphrase Emerson, democracy descends to the lowest common denominator. We live in a society where fashion, money, and fame dominate. Our politics and social media traffic in lies and twisted untruths. It’s very challenging for an aspiring artist to weed through the superficiality in order to illuminate the truth of the human condition. Professional acting is an incredibly hard business. 70% of all SAG/AFTRA and Equity actors earn less than $16,000 a year, actually obtain health insurance, or contribute to a retirement plan. Most actors need other jobs to survive, often throughout their entire careers. There is no guarantee of work, no promise of security and stability. It is an incredibly competitive, and money driven business, where artistic integrity must be forged like steel with a deep fire of grit and resilience. It demands sacrifice, the missing of weddings, birthdays, funerals, and vacations in order to pursue your craft. The majority of actors who move to NYC or LA have no clue about acting as an art form, they invest cheaply into their business with little or no training, bounce around for 3-5 years and then quit and do something else with their life. The odds are stacked against you. So why do you want to act? I believe the answer must begin with shaping the vision of the actor you want to be. This requires insight into what makes acting so beautiful, and why we revere the best among us. If your answer is “I want to be on TV, I want to be a movie star, and I want to be famous”, you should stop now and pursue something else with your life. I believe the answer must lie in your understanding that acting is an art form, in your deep wish to be a true artist, with a fascination for human behavior, and courage to bare your vulnerability, empathy and humanity to an audience so they can live vicariously through you. A need to challenge us to think more deeply about how we relate to each other, to hold a mirror up to us to reflect back what makes us human. If your answer is “I love the human condition, I want to step into as many different shoes as I can, I want to illuminate humanity. I want to master the art of acting, and I’m willing to bust my a** to do it”, then you might have a chance. If you want to be an actor, then ask yourself, what’s my contribution? If you have a voice, a desire to add something of value to this beautiful art form, if you believe you have talent, then do right by it. Train yourself. Dedicate yourself to an artistic life. Yes it is hard and challenging, but the rewards are immense and truly satisfying. So make sure this question is pondered with the respect with which it is asked. Search yourself for the truth, not what sounds cool. Maggie Flanigan Studio 153 W 27th St #803 New York, New York 10001 +1 917-789-1599 www.maggieflaniganstudio.com/goo.gl/maps/oxqqExybwL32plus.google.com/112291205845820496849 https://flic.kr/p/Ri4DLQ

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About Me

The Maggie Flanigan Studio provides the best Meisner trainingfor actors in New York City. Located in the heart of NYC, The Maggie Flanigan Studio was created by Maggie in 2001 to provide a unique conservatory-based acting program for talented young artists to receive the highest quality Meisner training. We are committed to the belief that acting, at its' best, is a creative art. However, excellence can only be achieved through mastery of the actor's craft.